1947: Baugh Passes Redskins Past Steelers in Back-and-Forth Game

The Washington Redskins were 0-1, having shown off plenty of offense in a wild loss to the Eagles, as they hosted the Pittsburgh Steelers on October 5, 1947. A 5-5-1 team in 1946, their first year under Head Coach Turk Edwards, the Redskins had the NFL’s best passer in 33-year-old QB Sammy Baugh (pictured above) but they were already showing an inability to stop good offenses when they shifted to defense.

Pittsburgh, under Head Coach Jock Sutherland, was also 5-5-1 the previous year. They had already played two games and split them, defeating the Lions in the opener but losing badly to the Rams in the next contest. They traded star multi-purpose back Bill Dudley during the offseason and had Johnny Clement take his place at tailback in their single-wing offense.

It was a sunny afternoon with a record crowd of 36,565 in attendance at Griffith Stadium. The Steelers took the opening kickoff and, keeping the ball on the ground, advanced to the Washington eight yard line. The big play along the way was a 43-yard carry by Clement. The drive stalled and Joe Glamp kicked a 15-yard field goal.

The 3-0 lead held up until the first play of the second quarter. With a first down at his own 46, Baugh fired a pass to HB Bob Nussbaumer, who caught it at the 31 and outran the secondary to the end zone for a 54-yard touchdown. Dick Poillon’s extra point made it 7-3

Late in the period, DB Walt Slater recovered a fumble by Washington FB Jack Jenkins at the Pittsburgh 40 and the Steelers went 60 yards in seven plays. Clement completed a pass to end Val Jansante for 19 yards to the Washington 15 and from there he connected with FB Steve Lach, who took the short throw and powered over several tacklers for a touchdown. Glamp’s extra point was successful to make it a three-point margin. With one minute left, the Redskins had another opportunity and Baugh passed them down to the Pittsburgh 14 where time ran out.

Washington HB Dick Todd returned the second half kickoff 50 yards to the Pittsburgh 43 and from there the home team drove to a score. Baugh threw to Poillon for a six-yard TD, and while Poillon missed the extra point attempt (breaking a streak of 30 straight), the Redskins were back in front by 13-10.

However, five minutes later DB Tony Compagno intercepted a Baugh pass and returned it 65 yards for a touchdown to put the visitors back on top. Washington responded with a series that ended with Baugh throwing to end Hugh Taylor for a 36-yard TD. Poillon’s kick made it 20-17 in the back-and-forth contest.

The Steelers came back with a big pass play of their own as Clement threw to HB Bob Sullivan for a 50-yard touchdown. Glamp was successful on the conversion and Pittsburgh was again in front by 24-20.

Early in the fourth quarter, the Steelers advanced to the Washington two but came up empty. The Redskins, backed deep in a hole, were forced to punt and Baugh faded back to pass out of punt formation but stepped out of bounds in his end zone for a safety that extended the Pittsburgh lead to 26-20.

The Steelers again drove into Washington territory but a 40-yard field goal try by Glamp sailed wide to the left. The Redskins went 80 yards on their next series with Baugh passing effectively. On a fourth-and-nine play Slingin’ Sammy hit FB Sal Rosato for a first down at the one. HB Tom Farmer scored from there with 5:32 remaining on the clock and Poillon added the crucial extra point. The lead had changed for the seventh time.

The Steelers put together a 73-yard drive in the waning minutes of the game. With 25 seconds left, Glamp attempted a 29-yard field goal but the wobbly kick hit the left upright and bounced away. The Redskins came away with a 27-26 win.

The statistics reflected the closeness of the score. Washington barely outgained the Steelers (384 yards to 373) while Pittsburgh had the edge in first downs (16 to 15). The Redskins also turned the ball over three times, to one suffered by the Steelers.

Sammy Baugh completed 13 of 28 passes for 275 yards and three touchdowns along with two interceptions while Johnny Clement (pictured at left) was successful on 9 of 17 throws for 157 yards and two TDs.

Washington continued to be an exciting offensive team that all-too-often gave up more points that it scored. The Redskins finished with a disappointing 4-8 record to place fourth in the Eastern Division. Pittsburgh, however, overcame the tough loss against the Redskins to win six straight games and tie for first in the division with the Eagles. But dissension among the players plus the loss of Johnny Clement to injury doomed the Steelers to a loss in the playoff game against Philadelphia.

Sammy Baugh had one of his greatest statistical seasons, setting NFL records with 354 pass attempts, 210 completions, and 2938 yards. He also led the league in touchdown passes (25) and completion percentage (59.3).

Johnny Clement had an outstanding year as well, ranking second in rushing (670 yards) while passing for 1004 yards with seven touchdowns and nine interceptions. 

1947: Eagles Outlast Redskins in Record-Setting Opening Game

The NFL opening-week matchup on September 28, 1947 between the Philadelphia Eagles and Washington Redskins featured two clubs heading in different directions. The visiting Redskins had regularly contended in the Eastern Division between 1936 and ’45, making it to the postseason six times and winning two NFL titles. However, under Head Coach Turk Edwards, a former star tackle, the team had gone 5-5-1 in 1946, the first non-winning record since 1935. Still, the Redskins had a formidable weapon in 33-year-old QB Sammy Baugh, the best passer in the league, assuring that they could put points on the board.

The host Eagles, on the other hand, had been perennial losers since coming into the NFL in 1933 (a year after the Redskins). They didn’t have a winning record until 1943, the year they combined with the Pittsburgh Steelers due to the wartime manpower shortage and restrictions on travel, but under Head Coach Earle “Greasy” Neale, the Eagles had been adding outstanding talent and improving steadily. Philadelphia finished second in the Eastern Division in each of the next three seasons, including a 6-5 record in 1946.

There were 35,406 fans at Municipal Stadium, and they saw the home team score first when Joe Muha kicked a 40-yard field goal three minutes into the contest. Later in the opening period, Eagles QB “One-Eyed” Tommy Thompson (pictured above) connected with rookie end Pete Pihos, a former college fullback, for a 19-yard touchdown to extend the lead to 10-0.


The Redskins got on the board early in the second quarter as Baugh (pictured at left) connected with HB Bob Nussbaumer on a 37-yard touchdown pass. Shortly thereafter, Baugh’s 1000th career completion was good for a 62-yard TD to rookie end Hugh Taylor and Washington was in front at 14-10.

However, the lead didn’t last long when Eagles star HB Steve Van Buren returned the ensuing kickoff 95 yards for a touchdown. With time winding down in the first half, backup QB Allie Sherman scored on a one-yard sneak that was set up by Van Buren’s running and passes from Thompson to Pihos. Philadelphia held a 24-14 lead at halftime.

The Redskins started the second half off with a bang as HB Eddie Saenz returned the kickoff for a 94-yard touchdown. The Eagles came right back with a 70-yard drive. Thompson threw to end Jack Ferrante for a 33-yard gain to the Washington six yard line and shortly thereafter Van Buren ran in for a one-yard TD. Philadelphia’s lead was again ten points at 31-21.

Thompson connected with Pihos for a 21-yard touchdown a few minutes later to extend the margin, but Baugh threw a pass to HB Dick Poillon that resulted in a 57-yard TD and the score was 38-28 after three quarters.

Thompson threw to end Neill Armstrong, another rookie, for Philadelphia’s last touchdown on a play that covered 29 yards. Washington didn’t give up, and Baugh tossed two scoring passes to Taylor in the fourth quarter. It wasn’t quite enough as the Eagles held on to win by a score of 45-42.

The combined 87 points set a new NFL record, as did the 12 combined touchdowns (previously 79 points & 11 TDs by the Packers and Cardinals in 1942; both records fell a year later).


Pete Pihos (pictured at right) had an impressive debut as he caught 5 passes for 89 yards and two TDs. Steve Van Buren ran for 98 yards and added the kickoff return for a touchdown.

Oddly enough, the field goal by Joe Muha that proved to be crucial to the result was the only successful three-point attempt of his career (he was one-for-five in ’47, one-for-16 over his five years in the NFL). A fullback, Muha was far more effective as a punter (he led the league with a 47.3 average in 1948).

For the Redskins, Sammy Baugh completed 21 of 34 passes for 364 yards and five touchdowns with two interceptions. Hugh Taylor (pictured below) also had a noteworthy first game as he caught 8 passes for 212 yards and three TDs.


The Eagles went on to post an 8-4 record, tying for first with Pittsburgh atop the Eastern Division. They won the resulting playoff but lost the NFL Championship game to the Chicago Cardinals. Washington won its next two games but then lost five straight to fall out of contention. The Redskins ended up at 4-8 and in fourth place.

Tommy Thompson, who had limited vision in one eye, firmly established himself as one of the better quarterbacks in the league as he threw for 1680 yards and 16 touchdowns. He benefited from having Steve Van Buren in the backfield, who set a NFL single-season rushing record (1008 yards) and also led the league in touchdowns (14) and yards from scrimmage (1087). Pete Pihos set the tone for his Hall of Fame career by catching 23 passes for 382 yards and seven TDs.

Although the Redskins were mired in mediocrity, Sammy Baugh led the league in pass attempts (354), completions (210), yards (2938), TD passes (25), completion percentage (59.3), and had the lowest percentage of interceptions (4.2). Hugh Taylor, who had such a spectacular debut in a losing cause against the Eagles, caught 26 passes for 511 yards (19.7 avg.) and six touchdowns. Bob Nussbaumer ranked second in the NFL in pass receptions (47) and ninth in receiving yards (597).

1947: Sammy Baugh Completes Record Passing Season with 343 Yards in Finale

Quarterback Sammy Baugh of the Washington Redskins broke and re-broke many NFL passing records during his 16-year career. Starting out as a tailback in Washington’s double wing offense, he had made the transition to T-formation quarterback in 1944. While he was at it, he also led the Redskins to five Eastern Division titles and two league championships. He was more than just the best passer of his era, but an outstanding defensive back and punter as well.

The Redskins were in decline by 1947, under Head Coach Turk Edwards, but Baugh was not. In the season-concluding game on December 14, he led the team to a 40-13 win over the Boston Yanks at Griffith Stadium. Slingin’ Sammy passed for 343 yards, including three touchdowns against one interception.

Baugh’s first TD pass, of 15 yards to HB Dick Poillon in the second quarter, gave the Redskins their first lead of the day at 13-6. His two fourth quarter scoring passes covered 6 yards to end Doug Turley and 20 yards to rookie end Joe Tereshinski, and allowed Washington to put the Yanks away. The offensive effort was also helped by FB Jim Castiglia’s 136 yards on 19 carries, which included two short touchdown runs.

All in all, it was a fine performance to conclude an otherwise disappointing season as the Redskins rolled up 574 yards while holding Boston to 112. Washington’s final record was 4-8, which ranked fourth in the five-team Eastern Division. The Yanks, who split the season series with the Redskins, ended up in third with a 4-7-1 tally.

Baugh had three 300-yard passing performances during the year, including a high of 364 with 5 TD passes in an opening day shootout at Philadelphia (the Eagles won, 45-42). He also tied his career best with six touchdown passes in a 45-21 win over the Chicago Cardinals (on “Sammy Baugh Day” in Washington, no less).

For the season, he set records for pass attempts (354) and completions (210) as well as passing yards (2938, breaking the record set by Chicago’s Sid Luckman in 1943 by 744 yards). Baugh, the league’s passing leader for the fifth of an eventual six times, also led the NFL in completion percentage (59.3) and TD passes (25) while having the lowest percentage of interceptions (4.2). For the era, these were exceptional numbers; the yardage record, most notably, lasted until 1960.

Baugh already held most of the career passing marks at this point (attempts, completions, completion percentage, yards, touchdown passes) as he set whole new standards for future quarterbacks to build upon. Thin (6’2”, 180 pounds) but very tough (sanctions against roughing the passer hadn’t yet been adopted – if the play was still in progress, a defender could hit the quarterback long after he had gotten rid of the ball), Baugh threw very accurately – way more than was the norm in the 1940s – with a sidearm motion. His style of play not only produced records, but greatly influenced the rise of the passing game in pro football.

The nickname Slingin’ Sam had actually been conferred on him for his exploits as a baseball third baseman, good enough to make it into the farm system of the St. Louis Cardinals, but not good enough to make it out of the minors (he couldn’t hit a curve ball). Baseball’s loss ended up being football’s gain, all the way to a charter membership in the Pro Football Hall of Fame.